Compounds of the imidazolidone series and process of making them



Patented June 20 1950 COMPOUNDS OF THE IMIDAZOI-JIDO'NE *SE RIES AND "PROCESS OF Donald; E. Wolf, Franklin Township, Somerset County, and :Karl 'Folkers, Plairifield, N. J., as- .signors to. Merck-& 00., Inc., .Rahway,N..J.,.-a corporation of NewJersey No Drawing. Original application November 20,

1946, Serial No. 711,226. Divided and this application January 14, 1948, Serial No. 2,323

Claims. (01. 260-309) This invention is concerned generally with novel chemical compounds and processes of preparing the same. More particularly, it relates to novel imidazolidone derivatives which possess physiological activity as growth promoting factors for microorganisms.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 111,226, filed November 20, 1946, now abandoned.

It has now been discovered in accordance with the present invention that dl-4-methyl-5-imidazolidone (2) caproic acid, hereinafter referred to as dl-desthiobiotin can be reacted with thionyl halide to form dl-desthiobiotin acid halide and th latter compound reacted with ammonia to form dl-desthiobiotin amide. This reaction is indicated graphically as follows:

H3cH t-(t11 0m)50oNH= wherein X represents a halogen substituent.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the resent invention, dl-desthiobiotin is converted to the acid chloride by treatment with thionyl chloride. The excess thionyl chloride is removed by evaporation and dl-desthiobiotin acid chloride remains as a clear oil. Liquid ammonia is added to the reaction mixture and dl-desthiobiotin amide crystals separate from solution. The crystalline product is recovered and washed with water to remove ammonium chloride. While the crystals recovered from the reaction mixture are substantially pure, further purification may be necessary or desirable. This is accomplished-by recrystallizing dl-desthiobiotin amide from water or alcohol solution.

The following examples illustrate a method of carrying out the present invention but it is to be understood that these examples are given by way of illustration and not of limitation.

Example 1 About 1 ml. of thionyl chloride is added to about mg. of dl-4-methyl-S-imidazolidone (2) caproic acid at room temperature. After reacting at room temperature for ten minutes, the excess thionyl chloride is removed by evaporation at reduced pressure, leaving dl-4-methyl-5-imidazolidone (2) caproic acid chloride as a clear oil. About 5 m1. of concentrated ammonium hydroxide is added to the clear oil and dl-4-methyl-5- imidazolidone (2) caproic acid amide separates from the solution as a white solid precipitate. The mixture is filtered and the amide recrystallized from water.

Example 2 About 1 ml. of thionyl chloride is added to about 100 mg. of dl-4-methyl-5-imidazolidone (2) caproic acid. After ten minutes standing at room temperature the excess thionyl chloride is removed by evaporation under reduced pressure, leaving dl-4-methyl-5-imidazolidone (2) caproic acid chloride as a clear oil. About 2 m1. of liquid ammonia is added to the acid chloride and dl-4- methyl-S-imidazolidone (2) caproic acid amide separates from solution as a white crystalline solid. The liquid ammonia is allowed to evaporate and the crystals are washed with water to remove ammonium chloride. The crystals are then recrystallized from methanol. The melting point of the recrystallized product is 186-188 C. Anal. calcd. for C10H19N3O2: C, 56.31; H, 8.98; N, 19.70. Found: C, 56.40; H, 9.02; N, 19.67.

Modifications may be made in carrying out the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and the invention is tobe limited only by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. As a composition of matter dl-4-methyl-5- imidazolidone (2) caproic acid amide.

2. The process of preparing dl-4-methyl-5- imidazolidone (2) caproic acid amide that comprises reacting til-4-methyl-5-imidazolidone (2) caproic acid with thionyl halide at room temperature to form dl-4-methy1-5-imidazolidone (2) caproic acid halide and reacting the latter compound with ammonia to form dl-4-methyl-5- imidazolidone (2) caproic acid amide.

3. The process of preparing dl-4-methyl-5- imidazolidone (2) caproic acid amide that com-' prises reacting d1-4-methy1-5-imidazolidone (2) caproic acid with thionyl chloride at room temperature to form dl-4-methyl-5-imidazolidone (2) caproic acid chloride and reacting the latter com- 5. The process of preparing d1-4-methyl-5- imidazolidone (2) caproio acid amide that comprises reacting dl-4-methy1-5-imidazolidone (2) 10 caproic acid chloride with ammonia to form dl-4- methyl-S-imidazolidone (2) caproic acid amide.

DONALD E. WOLF.

4 REFERENCES crmn The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,397,250 Dushinsky Mar. 26, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES Degering, An Outline of Organic Chemistry,"

1941, pp. 86 and 137. Melville et al., Science, December 1943, pp.

Hoffmann, Jr. Amer. Chem. 800.," vol. 66, pp,

KARL FOLKERS. 1 51-53, January 1944. 

1. AS A COMPOSITION OF MATTER DI-4-METHYL-5IMIDAZOLIDONE (2) CAPROIC ACID AMIDE. 